Happy Birthday Joan

It’s Throwback Thursday and today we wish a very happy birthday to Joan Jett, who turns 64 years old today. Jett is best known for her work as the frontwoman of her band Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, and for earlier founding and performing with the Runaways.

There’s a local angle for those of us who live(d) in the suburbs of Montgomery County, Maryland. Jett, born in Pennsylvania (Joan Larkin is her birth name), moved with her family in 1967 to Rockville, Maryland and attended Wheaton High School. Her family didn’t stay long in Maryland, as they picked up and moved to California where Jett had a greater opportunity to explore a music career.

At age 16, Jett formed the band the Runaways. The all-female band recorded three albums, toured with Cheap Trick, Ramones and Van Halen. Their biggest hit, co-written by Jett, is “Cherry Bomb”.

In 1979, Jett was in England pursuing a solo career. She recorded three songs there with the Sex Pistols' Paul Cook and Steve Jones, one of which was an early version of Arrows' "I Love Rock 'n' Roll". Returning to the states, she hooked up with songwriter and producer Kenny Laguna who helped with her debut solo album, Bad Reputation, released in 1980. The album was a mix of originals and covers, including the amazing title track, and covers of the Lesley Gore song “You Don’t Own Me” and the classic “Shout”.

Soon after, Jett put an ad in LA Weekly and began tryout to form a new back-up band. The band formed in a short period of time and they began touring as Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. In 1981, the band performed at the legendary Palladium in New York City - it was a concert that put them on the map. After a full year of touring, the band recorded and released I Love Rock ‘n Roll. The two biggest tracks off of it (and two of the biggest of her career) were the title track and the Tommy James penned song “Crimson and Clover”.

Jett has maintained a lengthy career, putting out new music, touring, working with other artists (The Gits, Bikini Kill) and getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Maybe my favorite cover song she’s ever done is her version of “Love Is All Around” (the theme to The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - it’s spot on and fits Jett perfectly.

A true badass who broke the mold of female rockers, paving the way for so many after her. Happy birthday Joan - we love rock and roll and we love you.